Survival of the Fittest
by JuJu beanzz
Summary: After half his life being tormented Percy must endure more torture from a very unexpected source. The man in the mirror is not his friend.
1. Prolouge

There are a lot of thing people say a man can't do. Like surviving through Tartarus, defeating Kronos, or killing the Minotaur with no training. But Percy had a knack for doing the impossible. He did all of these things and even befriended a huntress for crying out loud. But there is a person you just can't win against. It's because they know you. They can anticipate your every move. Even know what you're thinking before you do. But no one knows this person. They hide in the dark. When you sleep they walk. Deep in the recesses of your mind, showing you things that you may or may not like. If you look close enough you'll find that person. Right in the back of your head. That person is you.

Percy awoke in a cold sweat. That damned day. The day that was supposed to be the best day of his life turned into one his many recurring nightmares. He doesn't know why but his dreams start off peachy. But then it happens. He loses control of his body time his subconscious digs into an _extremely _unwanted memory. There are also times where he doesn't know who or what he's dreaming about. In his sleep he is a slave to his own mind. But this nightmare was different. Very different. There was someone else there. It was a silhouette of a man. The man was Percy's height and build. Although he didn't say anything, he just watched. While Percy's world was falling to pieces he just watched. And when the worst and most recent memory came, he smiled and cackled evilly as Percy screamed tried to wake himself up to no avail. He was forced to stay. Percy had to wait until this…thing was finished. Finished, torturing Percy mentally and then tossing him out the dream like a wet towel.

Percy hated that man. His jailor. That vile creature visited Percy in his dreams every night, like a monster hiding under his bed. Well, in this case, he was the bed.


	2. A Game

Percy sat up in the bed. He checked his watch and noticed that it was eight in the morning. But after having his latest "chat" with the jailer he didn't find the silken pillow too inviting. Percy gazed across the room and saw a blue rubber ball. He decided it would be a good idea to play with it. Percy had a tug in his gut telling him something was wrong. But he wanted the ball. No, he _needed _the ball. It was something to take his mind off of recent events.

"_The ball" _Percy repeated in his mind.

He wanted it. He stood up and dully stepped towards the ball. Every fiber of his being screamed at him telling him this was wrong. Even still Percy walked closer to the ball. He became the fish on the hook in a matter of seconds. As he raised his hand to take the ball, _he_ spoke.

"**Take it.", **the jailer said almost tauntingly.

These two words made Percy practically jump out of his skin. He stared at the ball and it seemed to stare back. Then he noticed. Why would _he _care if he took a _ball? _Then it hit him. His jailer wanted to have more fun. To scramble his brains even more. Percy quickly shook his head and walked to the door. He opened it and looked around. Realizing with a start that it was about ten in the morning he walked outside and felt immediately relieved of his tension by the fresh air. He began to wander aimlessly before coming to a stop at the stables.

"_Sup boss?" _ Came the whinny of Blackjack.

"Oh, how's it goin' blackjack?" Percy replied rather distractedly.

"_Same old same old, boss. Still waitin' on those doughnuts though. "_

"Heh, sorry about that. I can't get the doughnuts but I'll bring back some sugar cubes later."

With that Percy jogged away from the stables and towards the training area when Travis Stoll came running up to him. "Whoa Perce. You look like a mess. Something tells me you had a rough night….Well anyway Chiron is looking for you. He's waiting for you at the Big House now. And I would come with you but Katie's calling." He said quickly and dashed away.

"Alright I'll be over there in a sec." Percy replied whilst changing directions towards the big house. His jog became a light sprint. "I wonder what this about…" he said to himself as he came to a stop at the front door of the Big House.

As he was about to turn the doorknob, the door swung open, colliding with his face and sending him crashing to the porch floor. "ouch." he said as he stood up and dusted himself off. He looked up to bring him face to face with a girl he came to hate.

"Sorry about that Per-"The girl tried to apologize before being abruptly cut off by Percy.

"There are a lot of things you should be apologizing about, _Annabeth." _Percy growled as he brushed past her. He stopped and quickly composed himself before continuing in before he noticed that Chiron was sitting in his wheelchair at the meeting table.

"Come sit down Percy." Chiron beckoned. Percy did as he was told.

"So what did you need me for Chiron?"

"Percy my boy, you have been summoned to Olympus for a little "chat" with the gods." Replied Chiron with an underlying tone that revealed that they probably needed him to do something.

"Did say why?" Percy asked grumpy, wondering what they could need him to do now.

"No, but Zeus did say that the Hunt would be accompanying you to Olympus." His stomach dropped.

"_Shit." _He thought and cringed inwardly. Now Percy wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but he definitely knew he did not want to be traveling with the hunt. A group of man-haters, with a plausible cause but still. There's a zero tolerance for men. And then there's Artemis. Not that he has anything against her. It's just…he would rather die than be turned into a fluffy-horned-rabbit-thingy, anything but that. There was also something else about her. Something that made him want to stay away. Every time he's near her, it's like someone pulls him toward her. Like how the moon pushes and pulls the tides. He's always felt it. That tug. But he's never acted upon it.

"**It's because you're weak." **An amused voice spoke to him. **"And coincidentally it's because of your weakness that I have decided to help you."**

Percy hurriedly stood and walked back to his cabin to wait for the hunters' arrival.

"Who are you?" Percy asked coldly.

The voice giggled before it erupted into a full-blown laughter. **"What? Look in the mirror. Can't you see the resemblance?" **Percy looked in the mirror only see nothing but the ordinary. Until ordinary smiled broadly at him then cackled evilly. Then, it waved. **"Yo. If you want you can take a picture it lasts longer. Anyways even though I am you, I still have a name and I don't appreciate the name "Jailer". So… call me ****Dicaeus. Hm, yeah I like that one. Also…" **Percy shuddered when the room's temperature dropped dramatically.** "I don't answer to you. I'll help you for this moment but tomorrow will begin the game and I will break you then take back what's mine."**

"What kind of game are you talking about?"

"**Survival of the Fittest."**

* * *

Artemis had just woken up. "_Something feels off today_." She thought. Which was weird, considering how she had an amazing sleep session and was feeling well rested. After doing cleaning herself and getting dressed she went outside to greet the rest of her hunt. They were in Baltimore, Maryland, home of the Ravens. Of course, Artemis neither knew nor cared about petty things like that. And she liked it that way. When she stepped outside she was greeted by 28 girls dressed in silver parkas. There was another girl who didn't really wear the parka too much, so she settled for a silver vest. That girl was Thalia. The girl stood at about 5'6, had an athletic build and a fiery attitude. She had an authoritative aura around her that only accentuated the fact that she was Artemis' lieutenant.

"Artemis, my child." Said person spun around to speak to the Iris-message.

"Hello, father." Artemis greeted Zeus.

"Artemis, I need you to bring young Perseus before the council." Zeus spoke calmly to let it sink in. Artemis bristled at the thought of having to be an errand-girl for her father.

"Why don't you get Hermes to do this for you?" Artemis asked angrily

"Because he's busy. Now do this for me and I'll double your hunts." Zeus compromised sounding rather annoyed.

"Alright, I will. But don't expect my hunters to bring him to you in one piece."

"Do what you will." Zeus stated dismissively. Artemis swiped her hand through the Iris-message. She turned back the hunters.

"Get ready, we will leave in the morning for Camp Half-Blood." Artemis said to her hunters.

"This is going to get interesting." Thalia muttered before continuing her daily rounds


End file.
